World sees first 12 months above 1.5 °C warming level: climate monitor

Earth has experienced 12 consecutive months of temperatures 1.5 degrees Celsius hotter than the pre-industrial era, marking a record, according to Europe’s climate monitor, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The warming trend in 2023, fueled by climate change and the El Nino phenomenon, has led to extreme weather events, including storms, droughts, and fires. While this surpasses the crucial 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold set by the Paris climate deal, scientists clarify that this is not a permanent breach and underscores the urgency of addressing climate change. The global impact includes devastating droughts in the Amazon basin, sweltering winter temperatures in southern Europe, deadly wildfires in South America, and record rainfall in California. The C3S warns that urgent action is needed to bring down planet-heating emissions, as the world risks exceeding safety limits set in the Paris agreement. The El Nino is weakening, but ocean dynamics are described as “off the charts,” with warmer oceans contributing to more extreme weather events.

Source – CGTN